Fostering in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

For many children, entering care can be a difficult and uncertain experience. Foster carers provide the consistency and reassurance that helps children feel safe while giving them the opportunity to build confidence, develop new skills and create positive memories. The support of a caring foster family can make a lasting difference to a young person's future.

At Action for Children Fostering, we're looking for foster carers throughout Newcastle upon Tyne who can offer a nurturing home and a commitment to helping children succeed. Whether you live in the heart of the city or in one of the surrounding communities, your support could help a local child remain connected to their education, friendships and support networks.

You don't need previous fostering experience to become a foster carer. We welcome people from a wide range of backgrounds and provide all the training, guidance and support needed to help you feel confident in the role.

If you have the space, patience and determination to help a child reach their potential, we'd love to hear from you.

We understand that fostering involves significant responsibility and commitment. That's why we provide financial support designed to help foster carers focus on providing high-quality care for the children they look after.

Our fostering payments are made up of an allowance and a fee. The allowance contributes towards the everyday costs of caring for a child, including food, clothing, transport and activities. The fee recognises the skills, dedication and time involved in supporting children and young people in care.

The amount you receive will vary depending on the type of fostering you provide and the individual needs of the child placed with you. Additional support may also be available for educational activities, hobbies, holidays and special occasions that contribute to a child's wellbeing and development.

We want foster carers to feel financially supported and able to provide children with the opportunities and experiences they deserve.

By helping with the practical costs of fostering, we enable carers to focus on creating positive, stable and supportive family environments.

Strong support is essential for successful fostering, which is why we place foster carers at the centre of everything we do.

From your first conversation with our team through to becoming an experienced foster carer, you'll have access to dedicated support and guidance. Every foster carer is allocated a supervising social worker who will provide regular contact, supervision and professional advice throughout their fostering journey.

We understand that every fostering household is unique, and our support is tailored to meet your individual needs.

Support available includes:

• A dedicated supervising social worker
• Regular supervision sessions and support visits
• Foster carer support groups
• Opportunities to connect with experienced carers
• Access to specialist services and professional advice
• Emergency and out-of-hours support

Many foster carers tell us that being part of a wider fostering network helps them feel more confident and supported. Sharing experiences with others who understand the realities of fostering can provide valuable encouragement and practical insight.

Our goal is to ensure every foster carer feels equipped, connected and supported whenever they need assistance.

Children in care often need carers who can understand their experiences and respond with confidence, patience and empathy. That's why we provide a broad programme of training designed to support foster carers throughout their development.

All training is provided free of charge and starts before approval. Learning continues long after you become an approved foster carer, helping you build knowledge and develop your skills over time.

Skills to Foster

This introductory programme provides a strong foundation in fostering, covering topics such as child development, attachment, communication, safeguarding and the responsibilities of the fostering role.

Therapeutic Parenting

Many children entering care have experienced trauma, loss or instability. Therapeutic parenting training helps carers better understand children's behaviours and develop supportive approaches that strengthen trust and emotional wellbeing.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding training explores areas such as child protection, online safety, mental wellbeing, health and recognising issues that may affect children and young people.

Developing Your Knowledge

As you gain experience, you'll have access to a wide range of additional learning opportunities designed to strengthen your confidence and help you meet the evolving needs of children in your care.

Our training programme is designed to help foster carers provide safe, nurturing and supportive homes where children can grow and succeed.

Many people who become successful foster carers never imagined they would be eligible. Foster carers come from a wide range of backgrounds, professions and life experiences, and there is no single route into fostering.

Generally, you may be eligible to foster if you:

• Are over 21 years old
• Have a spare bedroom
• Have the right to live and work in the UK
• Can provide a safe and stable home environment

We welcome enquiries from:

• Single people
• Couples and partners
• Parents and people without children
• Homeowners and tenants
• Working professionals
• Retired individuals
• People from all cultural and faith backgrounds
• Members of the LGBTQ+ community
• People living with disabilities

Children need different types of foster homes and positive role models, which is why diversity among foster carers is so important.

The qualities we look for most are compassion, resilience, patience and a genuine desire to help children feel safe, valued and supported.

By fostering in Newcastle upon Tyne, you could help a child build confidence, develop positive relationships and create a brighter future.

Contact our Newcastle upon Tyne fostering team today to find out more about becoming a foster carer and the support available throughout your fostering journey.